Last Chance
by khala
Summary: Elizabeth follows her heart on her wedding day... (Liason fic — complete)
1. Lucky

[Author's Notes:

[Author's Notes:  
  
This story takes place in April, 2002 almost a year from when Jason left.   
  
Nikolas is still being played by Tyler, because as I read over this I can't imagine Coltin pulling this off. I'm keeping my opinion of the actor out of this, but I'm trying to remember RealNik. And RealNik would do anything for Elizabeth, so that's why I had to write it for Tyler.  
  
No matter how dumb I think the current Carly betrayal storyline is, I had to write it in. It's important for the part of Sonny that Carly betrayed him. Which means that Carly is Tamara, no matter how much I dislike her, because the thought of Sarah's Carly betraying Sonny makes my stomach turn.   
  
That's about it, I think! Enjoy!]

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"Elizabeth?" he asked, pushing the door open. "Elizabeth?" Lucky glanced around the dressing room for his bride. _Where is she?"Elizabeth, you in here?" He walked towards the shut bathroom door and heard the water in the sink running, feeling relieved that she was in the bathroom.   
  
"Elizabeth." He knocked gently on the door.   
  
No answer.  
  
"Elizabeth," he said more firmly. Alarm started rising in his stomach. __She wouldn't run out on her own wedding, would she?  
  
No answer.  
  
He tried the doorknob and it was unlocked. Lucky tried to push his way into the room, but there was something in front of the door. "Elizabeth, are you in there?" he asked, getting more irritated. He pushed on the door a little more and the chair that was wedged up against it gave away.   
  
"Elizabeth?"  
  
He looked from the water that was overflowing onto the carpet to the open window, curtains flapping in the wind. "Elizabeth," he whispered, not really hearing himself.  
  
"NO!" he yelled out the window.  
  
"No," he said to himself, as he folded like cardboard against the bathroom door. "No, no. She can't be gone. She can't be."   
  
"Elizabeth," he breathed.   
  
She was gone.  
  
_


	2. Elizabeth

Elizabeth sat on a bench on the docks in front of the Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse

Elizabeth sat on a bench on the docks in front of the Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse. How many times had she been by this place in the last year? How many times had she allowed herself to dream of the life that she really wanted? The life that she turned down.   
  
If Elizabeth allowed herself to be honest, she knew that her dream had always lurked in her subconscious. Right behind the part of her that was loyal to Lucky. She figured that as long as she let her loyalty to Lucky reside in front of her loyalty to herself and Jason, then she would be fine. She would be more than fine. She would be Lucky's wife. Lucky's soul mate. Lucky's permanent lock. Lucky's cheerleader. She would be there to pick Lucky up whenever he fell down. Except that the more she resigned herself to a life at Lucky's side, the more she wanted the freedom that Jason offered her.   
  
Lucky, Lucky, Lucky. It still came back to Lucky. **Why did she choose Lucky? For just a moment, she had a chance to take what she wanted. Jason stood in the park, offering to make all of her dreams come true, but instead she chose to stand by Lucky. _I don't want to be free, I want to be with Lucky. The words echoed in her head.  
  
"Well, you have the chance to be with Lucky," she said to herself bitterly. The hot tears splashed down her face, ruining her perfect make up. "Stupid, __stupid Elizabeth."   
  
"If you want to be with Lucky so badly, why aren't you at that church? Huh?" she asked herself. "__Why did you crawl out the bathroom window and run like hell to get away from that place?" She reached up to wipe the tears as they spilled out of her eyes. "Why are you _****here Elizabeth? Of any place you could have come, why did you  
come ****here?"  
  
She looked at the sign and her gaze lingered on his name. Morgan. "Why didn't you take his hand, Elizabeth?" The tears were falling too rapidly to stop them now, so she didn't try. Her gaze fell to the door and she pretended that she could just walk in and he'd be there, giving instructions. Or maybe sitting at his desk punching numbers into the calculator. Yes, that's what he was doing. She'd walk in those doors and he'd be there. He'd look up and smile at her, stop what he was doing to talk to her. He'd listen to her ramble nervously about why it was such a bad idea to get married in the first place. He'd wipe her tears away and wash all of this hideous make-up off her face. He'd tell her that he was glad that she had grown her hair long again, that he'd hated it short. And then he'd tell her that she needed to do what was best for her. Good ole Jason, always concerned about her best interests. Always wanting what was best for her. He'd offered her his heart in the palm of his hand and she squashed it without a second thought.  
  
"Why?" she sobbed.   
  
Elizabeth looked down at her Chloe Morgan original and suddenly wanted to crawl out of her own skin. This wasn't her. This was some distorted version of the girl that she used to be. Not the woman that she had buried for Lucky. The woman that she could be with Jason. She reached up and wiped her tears away one last time, silently vowing that she  
wouldn't cry anymore tears for him.   
  
"He left," she whispered to herself. "He moved on, _without you. Now, you have to move on without him. You have to live with the life that you choose for yourself. You can't have Jason. You __want Lucky, remember?"   
  
She laughed bitterly as the reality of the situation set in. __...I want to be with Lucky. "Stupid Elizabeth. Jason was only doing what you told him you wanted. You told him to stay away; you told him that he was someone you didn't even know. You hurt him, Elizabeth. You told him that you didn't want to be free. He only gave you what you said you wanted."   
  
"I want you, Jason," her tortured soul whispered. "I want __you."   
  
Elizabeth stood and smoothed her hands over the wrinkles in her dress. She took one last look at the warehouse and then turned the other way; the way that would lead her back to the Mt. Hebron Church. She could probably crawl back in the window before Lucky even realized she was gone.  
  
"You made your bed, Elizabeth. Now you have to lay in it. With Lucky."   
  
She took one shaky step away from the bench, in the direction of the church, before she wheeled around and ran full-force towards the coffee warehouse. Throwing open the door, she looked for the nearest worker. His eyes were wide as he took in this mad-woman in her wedding gown.  
  
"A phone?" she demanded. "I need a phone!"   
  
"I'm sorry miss but-" he started.  
  
"You're sorry? Give me a damn phone!" she cut him off. "I need a phone."  
  
"The phones are for business use only, miss," the foreman tried again.  
  
"Your __boss would let me use the phone," she said through clenched teeth. If threatening this man with Sonny and Jason would get his cooperation, she would do it gladly.  
  
"My boss?" he stuttered. Surely this small, crazed young lady in front of him would not know either of his bosses.  
  
"Mr. Corinthos and Mr. Morgan. I know both of them, in fact, I'm calling one of them." She turned, put her hands on her hips and stared him down. "Now, are you going to let me use the phone?"   
  
The foreman moved away from the desk, away from the phone. "Be my guest, Miss?"   
  
"That's none of your business," she snapped. She cradled the phone between her shoulder and her ear and desperately tried to remember the number Jason drilled into her head. The number that he made her promise to remember, just in case something bad happened. When the number came to her, she dialed quickly.  
  
After four rings she was about to give up and take it as a sign. Maybe God was punishing her for the choice that she made.   
  
__"Corinthos," he snapped into the receiver.  
  
"Sonny!?" she whispered.   
  
__"__Elizabeth__, what's wrong?" alarm filled his voice. If she was hurt, Jason would never forgive him.  
  
"Sonny, it's me. I need you to send someone for me. I need to see you Sonny." Her mind raced with possibilities. Would he tell her no? Would he help her?  
  
__"__Elizabeth__, what's wrong? Aren't you supposed to be getting married?__" he asked, carefully.  
  
"I couldn't do it," she whispered into the phone. "I couldn't do it." She stopped when she felt the tears start to well in her eyes again. Taking a moment, she composed herself.   
She would not cry anymore. "Sonny, you once told me that if I needed anything, that you would help me. I need help Sonny. Will you send someone for me?"  
  
She sounded so tortured, he thought. How could he tell her no?"__Where are you __Elizabeth__?" he asked.  
  
Relief flooded through her as she heard him say the words. He was going to help her. "Your coffee warehouse," she laughed into the phone. "I'm at the Corinthos-Morgan Warehouse."   
  
_**

_"Stay right there, I'll have a driver there in a few minutes."_

  
"Thank you Sonny," she said to herself, because he'd already hung up.  
  



	3. Jason

Jason Morgan looked up from the newspaper article to the sign in front of the church

Jason Morgan looked up from the newspaper article to the sign in front of the church. _Mt.__ __Hebron_. Same as what the newspaper announcement said.   
  
"This is the place, Morgan."   
  
His weekly check-in with Sonny was what brought him there. Sonny had _accidentally mentioned that Elizabeth was getting married today.  
  
__Accident my foot, Jason thought. He hadn't asked about her in over a year, he didn't know how she was doing or what was going on with her. He had hoped that pretending he didn't care would eventually turn into not caring. The only time that she got to him was in his dreams at night.   
  
He had never dreamed until he met Elizabeth Webber. And now, the only thing that he ever dreamed of __was Elizabeth Webber. Life was a funny, funny thing. He'd finally found the one woman that he could share his life with, that he would give up everything for, but she wasn't willing to set herself free.   
  
__I don't want to be free, I want to be with Lucky. Her last words echoed through his soul. He knew that she was lying. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He was etched into her heart just as she was his. That was the only thing that gave him any satisfaction at all.   
  
She was as miserable as he was. He didn't need Sonny to tell him that. Every time he took a breath, he could feel that she was dying inside. He could feel that Lucky was slowly killing everything that was Elizabeth Webber.   
  
__Lucky. The little punk.   
  
Elizabeth had stayed with Lucky because of some obligation. Some damn promise that she had made to him when she was sixteen years old. When she was just a __child. Elizabeth stayed with him because of her loyalty. The loyalty that Jason adored so much in her. The fierce loyalty that had kept her by his side when everyone in town whispered in her ear that he would get her killed. The same loyalty that had fought him when he tried to cut all ties. The loyalty that let him hide in her studio, when she knew that it could be a life or death matter.   
  
Or worse.  
  
If Lucky had found him there, it would have been much worse than life or death. It would have been Lucky or Jason. To keep one, she would have to lose the other. He hadn't wanted it to come to that.  
  
It did anyway.   
  
Jason offered her the world, but she turned him down. For a moment, he'd seen a flicker of the woman he knew that afternoon in the park. As quickly as it came, she killed it.   
She had closed her eyes and taken a deep breath. Then she looked at him and said the words that tortured his soul to this day. __I don't want to be free...  
  
How could she not want to be free? Freedom didn't mean that she would have to be with Jason. If she hadn't wanted to stay with him, that would have been okay. But she would  
have been free, she would have been away from Lucky. She would have been __safe. Instead, she choose a childhood love. No, she choose love. She hadn't known how deep Jason's feelings ran for her. Perhaps if he had told her, if he had said the words. Then maybe she would have realized that by choosing freedom, she was also choosing love. She was choosing **his love.   
  
"Why're you here, Morgan?" he asked himself. When he'd left Ontario, he told himself that he was just going to check and see if she was okay. He was going to see her in her wedding dress, and just for a moment, wish that it was him she was marrying. That it was him she was promising to love, honor, and cherish until death did they part. If he had just one glimpse of that vision in white and she looked happy, then maybe he could let her go. Maybe he could move on with his life. Maybe he would stop seeing her every place he went. Every waitress would not be her, every painting he would see wouldn't remind him of 'The Wind.' He wouldn't hear her laugh around every corner. And, hopefully, after some time, she would leave his dreams at night. He wouldn't dream of motorcycle rides along the cliff roads or staring out at the stars from the bridge. Her big blue eyes wouldn't plead for him to come to her, to rescue her. Maybe if he saw her happy, he wouldn't want her anymore.  
  
"Quit fooling yourself," he demanded, laughing bitterly. "Not want her? The only woman you'll **__ever want is her." When he'd left Ontario, he'd made a promise to himself: he was only going to see if she was okay, make sure she was happy. He was **not going to ride his motorcycle through the doors of the Mt. Hebron church. He was going to stay out of it. As soon as that thought entered his head, he knew it was a lie.   
  
Every instinct in him was screaming for him to barge into the church, sling open every door until he found her. He would kiss her until her mouth blossomed under his, until she moaned **__his name in that sweet, sweet voice. Her eyes would be glazed over in desire and she would want __him.  
  
He laughed again. "Nice fantasy, Morgan."   
  
He looked back down at the newspaper in his hand, let his eyes linger on the picture of her. She'd grown her hair out again, it fell past her shoulders. He had hated it short. She'd still been beautiful, but it just wasn't Elizabeth. He moved his hand to trace the curve of her cheek in the photograph. She stared straight ahead at the photographer, but Lucky's head was slightly cocked looking at her. Jason wanted to believe that she wasn't looking at Lucky because she didn't want to remember that she was marrying him. That maybe the smile on her face was because she was thinking of one of their rides, or the time that he'd taught her how to box. Maybe she was thinking of him when she smiled.   
  
"Get a grip, she made her decision," he growled at himself. "She doesn't want you. She wants Lucky."   
  
Jason reached up and ran a hand over his ragged face. He hadn't shaved since he'd left Canada and the stubble that was beginning to grow felt like razors on his skin. He imagined that he looked like hell. He felt like shit, that was for sure. The other half of his soul was marrying another man today and there was not a damn thing he could do about it. Well, he could. Except that it wasn't him. Jason Morgan always had control, he knew that people thought he was a robot. He'd never cared before, because people who knew him saw that he wasn't. So even though everything inside of him screamed to go and kick the church door in, he dropped the paper to the ground, turned on his heel and walked back to the bike.   
  
"Goodbye, Elizabeth." he whispered. A stab of pain radiated through his soul and he felt like he was walking away from himself.   
  
As he mounted the bike, he took one last look at the white doors on the church. He could do it. He could ride the bike through the doors, grab her by the waist and whisk her away.   
Or, he could propose. If she said yes, he could call Sonny and get a suit. They could get married today. The thought was ridiculous. But deep inside, he knew that if she would  
just say yes, he would do just about anything. He went to turn his head away when the doors of the church flew open and Nikolas flew out.  
  
"Elizabeth?" he bellowed into the silent street. "Elizabeth?" His eyes scanned the still street and landed on the one living thing there. Jason Morgan.  
  
He closed the church doors behind him before he turned to face his longtime nemesis. He should have known that Jason would have something to do with this. Elizabeth wasn't herself when Morgan was in town, of that he was sure.   
  
"Where is she?" he asked, through clenched teeth.  
  
Shock ran through Jason as the question sounded in his mind. "Where is who?"   
  
"You know who, Morgan. Don't play dumb with me." His lips curved into a half smile and he turned to look at him. "Oh, I forgot. You're not playing."   
  
"I assume you're talking about the bride," Jason said.   
  
"I assume you're talking about the bride," Nikolas repeated in a mocking tone. "No, I'm talking about my grandmother. Of course I'm talking about the damn bride! Where is Elizabeth?"   
  
"I don't answer to you."   
  
"So help me, if you don't tell me, I'll–"  
  
In one quick movement, Jason was off his bike and standing in front of the Cassadine Prince. "You'll what Nikky? Are you going to hurt me? I'd like to see you try." Jason's tone was low and menacing. He left the threat hanging in the air.  
  
"Look," Nikolas tried a different approach. He raised his hands in surrender. "I don't want trouble, I just want to know where Elizabeth is."   
  
"You mean she's not in there getting married?" he questioned. His love for her made his heart swell, and he had to fight to keep the smile off his face.  
  
Nikolas studied Jason's stone stature, trying to find out if he really was telling the truth. Was it possible that Morgan didn't know where Elizabeth was? If that was the case, then  
she had left on her own. Something flickered in Morgan's eyes, but he doused it as soon as quickly as it appeared. He didn't know anything. "Lucky went into her dressing room about half an hour ago," he admitted. "She wasn't there. She left the water running in the bathroom sink and she crawled out the window."   
  
A small smile played on Jason's lips, which was all that he would allow himself. More than anything he wanted to jump and sing. She had finally chosen herself.  
  
"Do you really not know where she is?" Nikolas pressed.  
  
"I haven't seen Elizabeth in over a year," he admitted to the younger man. "I have no idea where she could be."   
  
"Well I can tell you where she's not," Nikolas said angrily. "She's not in that church!" His hand pointed back towards the white building. "And she's not marrying my brother!"   
  
At the admission of the younger man, Jason's heart sang. She wasn't marrying Lucky. __Maybe it isn't too late to show her the light in __Italy__...  
  
_


	4. Sonny

Sonny stood by the fireplace in his penthouse and let his gaze linger on the one picture of Michael that he allowed himself to

Sonny stood by the fireplace in his penthouse and let his gaze linger on the one picture of Michael that he allowed himself to keep. Carly had been gone for months and after she left, he had obliterated anything that was hers from his home. It wasn't so much that he couldn't forgive her, because he could have. But forgiving her meant betraying his men and himself. That was something he _could not do.  
  
Loving Carly was easy, maybe the easiest thing that he'd ever done. He couldn't keep her and Michael safe and when she got scared, she panicked. She turned him over to the Feds and then expected to not have to deal with the consequences of her actions. Even though he loved her, he couldn't forget what she did, and neither would the people who worked for him. He was faced with loving Carly and giving up the only life he'd ever known or turning Carly away and staying with the life that he choose for himself.   
  
He let himself keep the picture of Michael because it reminded him that he still had a family. Michael would always be his son and he would always care for that little boy. Sonny brushed his fingers over the wood frame one more time and turned away from the picture. He knew that if he looked at it for one more second, he was going to fling it across the room.   
  
Sonny went to his liquor cart to push thoughts of his stepson and ex-wife from his head, it was the only sure way he knew to get rid of the memories. He poured a splash of scotch into a glass and lifted the amber liquid to look at it. He knew that if he downed it, he'd lose feeling in about five minutes. The alcohol would make him feel better, just like it always did. It made him forget that his life was a big, empty, black hole. Instead of drowning himself in the scotch, he flung it in the direction of the door. He couldn't do this. Elizabeth would be here soon and she needed him. For the first time in a long time, someone needed him. He wouldn't let her down and he wouldn't let Jason down. Sonny picked another glass and filled it with ice cubes and water. If he was going to drown his sorrows, he'd have to wait until after Elizabeth was gone.   
  
Minutes later there was a knock on the door. Johnny opened it far enough to slide his body in, blocking view of anyone in the hall.   
  
"Boss, Miss Webber is here," he spoke quietly.  
  
"Show her in," Sonny's tone was cold, detached. Why hadn't Johnny just announced her like she was a normal guest?  
  
"Mr. Corinthos, sir, she's in her wedding gown." Johnny shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the next.  
  
"Her what?" Sonny's voice rose. "She ran out on her own wedding?"   
  
"Looks that way, sir."  
  
Sonny refilled his glass with water and took a seat on the couch. "Show her in, Johnny."  
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Johnny opened the door and allowed Elizabeth to pass through before he went back into the hall. He closed the door quietly behind him.  
  
Sonny stood from his position on the couch and walked towards Elizabeth. "Sweetheart, what happened?" he asked carefully.  
  
"I couldn't do it, Sonny." Her voice was hoarse from the tears that she'd cried on the docks. "I couldn't marry him." Her voice cracked. Elizabeth stopped, remembering her vow to not cry anymore. When she was more sure of herself, she began to speak again. "I was standing in front of the mirror in my dressing room, saying 'Elizabeth Spencer' over and over again. The more I said it, the more I would cry."   
  
Sonny crossed the room to where Elizabeth was and wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. "Elizabeth, why don't you sit down?" He started to guide her towards the couch and then glanced at the drink cart. "Do you want something to drink?" When she shook her head, he continued towards the couch. After she was seated, he went back to the cart and poured a small amount of scotch into a glass.   
  
He looked back at the young girl sitting in his living room, looking so broken. "Elizabeth," he said. He returned to the couch and sat beside her. "Why don't you drink this," he suggested. He held out the scotch to her. "It's not enough to do anything, it'll calm you down some. Please?"   
  
Elizabeth's shaky hand reached for the glass and her fingers wrapped around the cool tumbler. Her other hand came to cup the bottom so she wouldn't drop it. Slowly she raised the rim of the container to her mouth and drank. Elizabeth coughed as the scotch burned a trail down her throat and settled at the bottom of her stomach. Soon, her nerves began to calm down and she turned to look at Sonny. He was studying her face intently, trying to read what she was thinking.   
  
"Better?" he asked. He reached for the glass and pried it out of her fingers. Setting it down on the ottoman and turned to look back at her. "Have you eaten anything today Elizabeth?"  
  
She shook her head and Sonny stood and moved towards the door. "Sonny?" she called. __Is that my voice?  
  
He went back to her side and crouched in front of her. "I'm just going to send Johnny to Kelly's to get you something to eat, okay?" His hand reached up to cup her cheek and he smiled. "If you don't eat something then that scotch isn't going to do you any good."   
  
Her smile was weak, but genuine. "Thank you Sonny. But, I don't want anyone to know that I'm here. Please, will you make sure he doesn't say anything?"   
  
Sonny nodded and stood. He crossed the room back to the door and stepped outside.  
  
"I want you to go to Kelly's and pick something up for her to eat. A cheeseburger or something. Make sure that you don't mention it's for her. No one is to know that she's here, okay?"  
  
"Yes sir, Boss." Johnny couldn't help but wonder what was going on. It wasn't everyday that someone would show up in their wedding dress at Sonny's penthouse.   
  
Sonny gave Johnny a simple nod back and retreated back into the penthouse. Shutting the door behind him, he went back to where Elizabeth was sitting. She sat there with her head cradled in the palms of her hands and he couldn't help but notice how lost she looked. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked.  
  
Elizabeth raised her head and studied the older man's face. His soft brown eyes were wide with concern for her. She hated that she'd come to cry on his shoulder, but she didn't have anywhere or anyone else that she could go to. "I'd never been to a wedding where there wasn't actually a marriage until I moved to Port Charles."  
  
Sonny sat down beside her and flashed his dimples. He leaned back against the couch and threw his arm over the top of it. "Is that so?" If this was going to help her, then so be it.   
  
"Right after I moved to Port Charles, all they could talk about was Sonny Corinthos was set to marry Brenda Barrett. I knew who Brenda was because she was in fashion magazines everywhere. But, as I watched Jason walk down the aisle and tear her world apart, I had to wonder what kind of man could do that to a woman. So I have to ask, were you not in love with her?"   
  
Sonny drew in a quick breath and tried to answer her question. "I was very much in love with her. I was so in love with her that I refused to let her live the life that I choose for  
myself. I'll always love her and I'll always miss her." The light in his eyes dimmed a little as he remembered his lost love. "Brenda was the first woman that completed me. And I'll always have to wonder 'what if' when it comes to her. If I had married her, could I have saved her?"   
  
"Sonny," she started. When he held up his hand to stop her, she continued despite his protests. "It's not your fault. I don't really know the circumstances that surrounded Brenda's death, but just know that you did the right thing. I saw her after you left, she was happy. She moved on. You have to let that guilt go."   
  
He turned his head to look at her, but only got the side of her profile. Elizabeth was looking straight ahead into space. "You're young, but you're wise. The same applies to  
you, though. The guilt that's eating at you right now about not marrying Lucky? You have to let it go too."   
  
Elizabeth continued on as if he hadn't even spoken. "Then, there was the Alexis-Ned non-wedding. She didn't make it down the aisle either, instead she hitched a ride with a trucker. It was something right out of that Julia Roberts movie." Elizabeth turned to look at him, her expression was cold and guilt-racked. "Alexis and Ned can't even be in the same room together anymore without fighting. It that what's going to happen to Lucky and me?"   
  
"Elizabeth, if you're having second thoughts about your second thoughts we'll go down to that church right now. I'll walk you down the aisle and give you away. I'll watch you  
get married." Sonny stood and extended his hand to her. He looked down at her upturned face and spoke. "If you want to go, let's go. I just need to get my jacket. I can't give you away if I don't have my jacket."   
  
A smile played on her lips and she looked up at him. Her smile turned bitter when she realized that he was standing exactly as Jason had stood that day. "How can you be nice to me?" she asked. "After what I did to him, how can you stand to look at me?"   
  
Sonny sunk back to the soft cushions of the couch and ran a hand over his face. "When Carly fell down those stairs and lost the baby, you sat in the hospital with me and held me. I don't know what happened between you and Jason, but I know that what you did to him doesn't dictate how I feel about you. If you want to marry Lucky, I'll take you. We'll get you married, but you have to be sure."  
  
"I don't want to marry Lucky," she whispered. Her head fell back into her hands and the tears started to fall down her cheeks again. "I don't want to marry him. I never wanted to  
marry him."   
  
Sonny wrapped an arm around her and pulled the young woman to his chest. "Then why'd you say yes?"   
  
"I don't remember," she admitted. "We were at the place where we either had to break up or get married. And I don't know who I am without being Lucky's girlfriend." She pulled away from him and the tears fell silently down her cheeks. "I don't remember any of the reasons that we are together anymore. I don't remember why I fell in love with him."   
  
Sonny took her face in his hands and started to wipe her tears away. "I do," he said. "Lucky before the fire was a wonderful person who loved you. It was one of those once  
in a lifetime deals. If he hadn't died then I think things would have turned out so much differently for you." He moved his hands so that it was cupping her chin and she was looking at him. "But he did die, Elizabeth. A year in captivity changes a person and he can't be that person anymore. You changed too. You don't want to be that person anymore, do you?"   
  
"I don't know what I want," she said softly. She remembered her words from earlier that night and turned her face away from Sonny. __I want you, Jason. "No, that's not right. I do know what I want, I just can't have it."   
  
"It or him?" he questioned.   
  
She jerked her head back to look at him, her eyes were wide. "You know?" she asked, not really believing her ears.  
  
"I know that Jason cares about you very much and I know that you care about him too. If you didn't you would have never helped him. Especially when it cost you people in your  
life."   
  
Elizabeth shook her head and laughed. The sound was strangled and bitter. "You're wrong, Sonny." She stood and moved away from him towards the fireplace. "Jason might have cared about me before, but there is no way he cares about me now. Not after I hurt him." She looked up at the picture of Michael and let her fingers whisper over the wood frame. "Do you miss him?"  
  
"I talk to Jason a lot, Elizabeth," Sonny said.   
  
"Michael." She turned to look at him with the frame in her hands. "Do you miss Michael?"   
  
He crossed to where she was and took the picture out of her hands. "Everyday," he admitted. He gently placed it back on its spot of the mantle. "I think that's the worst part. I got so used to him being here, making noise. I got used to little army men in the back of my limo, building blocks in my briefcase. But, as time passes by, the pain lessens. He's taken care of and he's happy. They're both happy, and that's all I want for them."   
  
"You still love her Sonny." It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.  
  
"I'll always love her," he confessed. Sonny wasn't really aware that Elizabeth was in the room anymore, he was just voicing what his heart told him everyday. "Even though I can  
forgive her, I can't forget. I can't forget that she was willing to trade Jason's freedom for my own. Jason and the men that kept her safe every single day. She didn't just betray  
__me, she betrayed everyone who has ever worked for me: Jason, Johnny, Francis, Will. She didn't think about that when she turned me in. She didn't think that us being 'free,' as she put it, would mean Jason spending the rest of his life behind bars."   
  
Elizabeth didn't really understand why he couldn't take her back, but she knew that he never would. No matter how much he loved her, Carly would never step foot into his penthouse again. She was about to speak when Johnny knocked on the door.  
  
The sound of knuckles rapping against the wood brought Sonny out of his trance. He guided Elizabeth back to the couch and sat her down, careful to not step on her dress.   
When he opened the door, Johnny was standing there with a brown paper bag that had her food in it.   
  
"Thanks, Johnny," was the only acknowledgement that he got before the door shut in his face.  
  
Sonny took the cheeseburger and fries out of the bag and sat them on the ottoman in front of the couch. "Eat," he urged. He went back to the drink cart to pour her some water  
into a glass and took it back to her. He stood and watched her for a minute, satisfied that she was eating something, even if she was only picking over the food.   
  
When he sat down, he laid his head back on the couch and listened to the quiet of the penthouse. He usually treasured the quiet, but he missed having Michael and Carly around. "I'm not in love with her anymore," he whispered.   
  
Elizabeth stopped, French fry in mid-air and looked at him, "What did you say?"  
  
"I'm not in love with Carly anymore," he repeated. He lifted his head to look at the woman he'd come to think of as a sister. "Do you know how long it's taken me to realize that?"   
  
"I'm not in love with Lucky," she said quietly. "I haven't been for a very long time." She stopped speaking and turned to look at Sonny. Before finishing her thoughts, she scooted  
back into the corner of the couch and pulled her knees to her chest. The dress rustled as her body moved underneath it. "That's the bad part, Sonny. I knew that I wasn't in love  
with Lucky, but I still agreed to marry him."   
  
"You did what was right, Elizabeth. What was right for Lucky," he tried to assure her. "And what you thought was right for you. At least you didn't marry him."   
  
Elizabeth looked down at her hands and then back at Sonny's face. He was right. She knew that he was right. At least she hadn't made it down the aisle, she hadn't promised to love, honor, and cherish Lucky. She still had the chance to fix her life the way that __she wanted it. Her hands smoothed over the silk material of her wedding dress and she smiled. "I can't believe I'm eating a greasy cheeseburger while I'm wearing a Chloe Morgan original." Her smile turned to a laugh when she saw Sonny's dimples. "But I guess I don't have much choice."   
  
Sonny ran a hand over her cheek and stood. "Yes, you do. Let me go ask Alexis if she has something you can borrow." He made his way towards the door, but stopped when she spoke.  
  
"Thanks Sonny," she said. She thought for a minute before making her next request. "I think that I'm going to leave town for a little bit. Do you think that you could get some  
paper and a pencil from Alexis so I can write Lucky a letter?"   
  
"Sure," he agreed. The door closed after him and he crossed the hall to Alexis' penthouse. He knocked twice and waited for her to open the door.  
  
When she did open the door, with a bowl of popcorn in hand, she blushed. Her free hand immediately went to the back of her head to smooth down her ponytail. "Sonny, I wasn't expecting you."   
  
"I need a favor," he said. He couldn't help but notice the blush that colored her cheeks when he looked at her. __Stop it Corinthos, she's your attorney, he ordered. "Uh... you can't tell anyone. You know, client/attorney confidentiality thing?"   
  
Alexis opened the door a little wider as to invite him. "I won't, you know that. What's up? Who's in trouble?"   
  
"Elizabeth is across the hall in her wedding dress. I don't have anything that she can change into, so I thought maybe you could lend her something."   
  
Alexis raised an eyebrow at him, but immediately went to the bedroom that was off the living room. She returned with jogging pants and a t-shirt. "These should work. But do you want to tell me why Elizabeth is in your penthouse and not marrying Lucky?"   
  
"She doesn't love him," he answered her simply. "She's in love with Jason."   
  
"Did she __say that Sonny?"   
  
"She doesn't have to, Alexis." He took the clothes from her hands and was shocked at the awareness that shot through him when their fingers brushed. "Saying it out loud only means that other people can hear it. She doesn't have to __say she loves Jason to know that it's true."  
  
It was like his words had a double meaning, but she couldn't figure out how they would apply to her. When he touched her, she felt something that was so much more than friendship. Her gaze dropped to his mouth for a minute and she found herself wondering what it would be like to taste him. __He's your client Alexis! "Is there anything else you need?"   
  
He watched her retreat into herself as she stepped away from him. __What did I say? "Uh, yeah. Elizabeth wanted some paper and a pencil. Something about writing Lucky a letter."   
  
She left the door open-with Johnny in full view as she made her way to the desk. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a white legal pad and a blue ink pen before she shut it again. She held the paper and pen out for Sonny to take.   
  
Once he took the supplies from her, he made his way towards the door. When he stepped outside, he turned to say thanks, but the door was already closed behind him.   
  
As he crossed the hall, he noticed Johnny's amused face and was embarrassed because his attorney was having this effect on him. "Go home Johnny," he ordered.  
  
"But sir–" Johnny tried to protest.  
  
"Go home," Sonny said more adamantly. "Don't repeat anything that has happened here tonight. No one is going to come in on me and Elizabeth will be fine. I'll see you in the  
morning."   
  
Johnny wanted to stay outside and argue with his boss some more. He wanted to make him see that it wasn't a smart move, but he didn't. Things had been quiet for awhile, so he hoped that Sonny could handle trouble if it were to come knocking. "Yes sir." As he made his way to the elevator he heard the penthouse door shut and lock behind him.  
  
Once inside, Sonny went to where Elizabeth was sitting on the couch. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing wasn't even enough for her to be asleep.   
  
"I got what you wanted," he said. "You can stay in the guest room tonight and then tomorrow we'll talk about what you're going to need."   
  
She silently nodded her head and opened her eyes. Taking the clothes from Sonny's extended hand, she watched him set the legal pad and pen down in front of her. "Can I shower first? It'll clear my head and I probably need to have one when I write a letter to my childhood sweetheart explaining to him that I don't want to marry him or even see him anymore."  
  
"Sure," he nodded. "Anything you need sweetheart."   
  
After Elizabeth stood, Sonny placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her towards the stairs. When they were standing in front of the guestroom door, he looked down at her again. She looked hesitant, but not full of regret. "This used to be Carly's room. And Jason's before that."   
  
"Jason stayed here?" she asked, turning her head to look at him. "I didn't know that."   
  
"After I didn't marry Brenda, he moved into the penthouse for awhile. He told me that he could never move into the master bedroom, so he made this bedroom his own." He pushed the door open and reached for the switch, flipped it on. "You couldn't tell though. Carly redecorated it after she moved in."   
  
Elizabeth took in all of the feminine touches and could see how Carly had once lived there. But at the same time, she still felt Jason there. "Thanks Sonny." Before she could stop herself, she had wrapped her arms around his neck for a hug. She could feel him hesitate for a second before hugged her back. Slowly, she disentangled herself from him and gave him a smile. "I'll see you in the morning."   
  
He nodded and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Sleep well, sweetheart."   
  
_


	5. Reconnecting

It was late when Jason knocked on the penthouse door

It was late when Jason knocked on the penthouse door. He noticed that there wasn't a guard and that the door was locked. A few seconds passed before he heard the lock click  
and the doorknob turned to let him in.   
  
"Jason," Sonny said with little surprise. He had been expecting him. "I figured you'd be here sooner."   
  
"How'd you know I'd come?" he asked. He already knew the answer, his feelings for Elizabeth were transparent.  
  
"It's Elizabeth's wedding day. You wouldn't have missed it."   
  
Jason shrugged out of his jacket and laughed. "She did."   
  
"I heard." He didn't want to tell him that Elizabeth was there just yet, he wanted to see if Jason's feelings for Elizabeth matched her own for him.   
  
"Last time I checked, they still hadn't found the bride. I waited around near the church for about forty-five minutes before I left. Cassadine told me that she crawled out the  
bathroom window." Jason was still in shock from the events of the evening.   
  
"What're your intentions towards Elizabeth?" Sonny questioned. "Why do you care?"   
  
Jason looked at his friend, trying to decide how to answer that question. This could be one of the few times that he lied, but in the end he could never lie to Sonny. "Elizabeth is  
the only person who makes me feel complete, Sonny. For the last three days, I've been trying to convince myself that I wasn't going to ride my bike through the doors of the church and drag her out with me." He stopped for a minute to collect his thoughts. "It's been over a year, Sonny. And I can't make myself stop loving her." His last sentence was low and tortured. He made it sound like loving her was a curse instead of a blessing.  
  
"She's here," Sonny admitted.  
  
Jason's head whipped around to look at his mentor. "Here?" he repeated, sure that he had heard wrong.  
  
"She called me from the coffee warehouse and I sent Johnny to pick her up. She's been here for the last few hours. Right now she's in your old room. I'd _like to think that she's sleeping, but I doubt it."   
  
Jason ignored Sonny's shout as he ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. He didn't stop to think outside of the door before he pushed his way into the bedroom. It was dark, but  
he could see her silhouette in the only chair in the room. "Elizabeth?"   
  
Sonny was right, she hadn't been asleep. She'd been sitting there going over in her head what she was going to do. Where she was going to go. How she was going support  
herself. These thoughts kept running through her head even as Jason burst through the door. She heard him whisper her name and it was like the world stopped spinning. __What is Jason doing here? "Yeah?" she answered.  
  
Light flooded the room after he hit the switch. His eyes glanced from her to the wedding dress that was laid on the bed and then back to her. "You're supposed to be married," he whispered. Even as the words left his mouth, he felt relieved that she wasn't married. That she was here, in his old room, dressed in someone's clothes that were too big for  
her. Her long hair was pulled back away from her face in a ponytail. He noticed that she looked haunted, but she also looked happy.   
  
"I know," she answered. "I'm sitting here thinking of all the reasons that I should leave right now and go beg for Lucky's forgiveness." She watched as her words hit him like a punch to the stomach. __Maybe it isn't too late... "But, I can't. I don't love him."   
  
"You don't love him?" he repeated. Jason tried to squash the flicker of hope that he felt, but he couldn't. He didn't want to. __Stop it Morgan, he commanded himself. __Just because she doesn't love him means that she **does love ****you.  
  
"I haven't, not since before he came back. After you left the first time, I moved on. I let him go," she admitted. "I haven't been in love with him in a long time. I just hate that it's taken me so long to figure it out."   
  
Jason moved further inside of the room and shifted the dress on the bed so that he could sit down. Not sure what to do with his hands, he clenched them together between his knees. His eyes settled on her and never wavered. "At least you didn't marry him."   
  
"You're right," she agreed. "I didn't marry him, I crawled out the bathroom window at the church."   
  
"I heard."   
  
"That's right, Sonny probably told you." She tried to ignore the stab of hope that she had felt when he said that he heard. Had he been at the church?  
  
"Yeah, he did. But Nikolas Cassadine told me first."   
  
Her head shot up and she locked her eyes with his. "You saw Nikolas?"   
  
"I was at the church and Nikolas came barreling out the door. Tried to blame the whole thing on me." Jason wasn't trying to make a joke, but he saw that Elizabeth smiled briefly at him.  
  
"Wait," she paused. "Why were you at the church?"   
  
"To ride my motorcycle through the door and ask you to come to Italy with me." He had started out in a low tone, but his voice grew stronger. "To beg you to see that you were making the biggest mistake of your life. To try and convince you that I could love you better."   
  
"Love me?" she asked, not sure if she had heard right. Her gaze dropped for a minute, but she forced herself to look at him. What she saw on his face took her breath away. "How can you love me after everything I've done to you? I've been so horrible to you. I'm not good enough for you, Jason."   
  
He cut her off, "**__I get to decide what's good enough for me. I would be worried that I wasn't good enough for you. All that I know for sure is that I don't remember being  
happy without you. I don't know how to smile when you're not around. I see everything in black, white, and gray when you're not there. I want color, Elizabeth. I want __you. I love you." His last admission came straight from his soul.  
  
"Jason," she whispered. She stood and went to stand in front of him. His gaze settled on her face and she could see the adoration in his eyes. Her hand reached up to cup his cheek and she caressed the skin there. "I've loved you for so long that I'm not even sure when it started. I just know that at some point in time, I started dreaming about having a life with you, not Lucky."   
  
His hand raised and held hers to his face. His eyes closed and he reveled in the contact of their skin. "Come to Italy with me, let me show you the light." When his eyes opened   
he saw tears pooling in her own.   
  
She nodded and brought her lip between her teeth and she wondered if she could really do this. If she could really just run away from it all. "Do you have your cell phone?"   
  
Not really sure what she needed it for, he took it from his jacket pocket and gave it to her. He watched as she dialed the numbers. Slowly, his hands went up to her hips and pulled  
her closer to him. He settled his forehead into her stomach and tightened his arms around her waist.   
  
__"Hello?" came a sleepy voice.  
  
"Nikolas," she said into the phone. "It's me, if someone's there, don't say my name."   
  
__"__Elizabeth__," he whispered. __"Where are you? We've been worried sick."   
  
"Nikolas, I need you to do me a favor." She paused and took a deep breath. "I need you to go get my things from my room at Kelly's and bring them to Sonny's penthouse."   
  
__"I knew it!" he yelled into the receiver. __"Morgan said he didn't have anything to do with this. The lying bastard."   
  
"Jason has nothing to do with this," she defended. "I choose not to marry Lucky. Now, are you still my friend or not? Will you go get my things?"   
  
__"I'll be there in an hour," he grumbled into the phone before he hung up.  
  
"He's gonna come," she said.  
  
"Okay," came Jason's muffled response. "You still haven't answered me. Will you come with me?"   
  
She pulled away and settled back into the recliner. "How can one love be that strong, Jason? How could you even want me?"   
  
He stood and closed the distance between them. Crouching beside the recliner, he took her hand in his. "I told you before. You give me something that I've never had before."   
  
She smiled at him. "You do too. The wind." She looked at him and her gaze dropped to his lips. Before she could talk herself out of it, she lowered her mouth to his and brushed  
her lips against his. "And freedom," she added, still against his mouth.  
  
His lips moved against hers in a gentle caress and when she returned it, he went to kiss her again. It was simple and sweet and so full of love. When he pulled back, she was  
glowing. Any traces of sadness were gone and she looked loved. "Come with me?"   
  
Her hands went up to cup his face and she kissed him again. When she pulled back, a smile appeared on her face. "Yes."   
  
_


	6. Nikolas

Nikolas entered the Harborview Towers with two suitcases in tow

Nikolas entered the Harborview Towers with two suitcases in tow. He expected for the night guard to stop and hound him, but he didn't. That only meant that he was being expected. Even if everything in him was telling him that he was being disloyal to his brother, he still stepped onto the elevator. He pushed the button for the penthouse floor and waited. He knew this was his last chance. As the doors rolled closed, he saw that last chance of freedom slip away.  
  
When he stepped off the elevator, he expected to see the guard standing there, but he wasn't. He looked to the left and looked to the right. He could always go visit Alexis and she would help him decide what to do. But it was nearly three a.m., there was no way she was still awake. Heaving a sigh, he turned to his right and approached Penthouse Four. He raised his hand to knock, but dropped it almost immediately. _Why am I doing this? But he knew.  
  
This was for Elizabeth.  
  
After his second knock Jason opened the door. The young prince looked into the living room of the penthouse and saw Sonny and Elizabeth lounging around. He let his eyes study her for a minute. She looked haggard and tired, but relieved. He silently wondered if she even regretted breaking his brother's heart.   
  
"Morgan," was the only acknowledgement he gave Jason.  
  
Jason stepped back and let him enter the penthouse. The two suitcases Nikolas carried were left beside the door.   
  
Nikolas approached Elizabeth and tried to keep an open mind about the situation. She had just hours before dumped his brother and now she was sitting in a mobster's penthouse like there was nothing in the world wrong. "Elizabeth," he spoke to her.   
  
Elizabeth stood and tried to give the young man a smile. "Thank you for coming Nikolas."   
  
"I would do anything for you, you know that." __Which, apparently, includes helping you break my brother's heart.   
  
"I wasn't sure," she said softly. She looked up at his face and saw the pain and confusion that she had caused. She looked to Sonny and Jason and then back to Nikolas. "Can you stay a few minutes? I'd like to talk."   
  
"If you want to talk, I can talk." His glance went from the mobster to his right hand man and then back to his best friend. "Can we talk alone?"  
  
Elizabeth saw Jason start to protest, but she had to do this. "Yes, I'd like that." She turned to Sonny and then to Jason, "Could you give us a few minutes?"   
  
Sonny stood and went to her. His hand raised and cupped the side of her face before he let it fall. "We'll be in the kitchen."   
  
"If you need something, let me know." As much as Jason wanted to stay there and hold her, he had to let her do this on her own.   
  
"Thank you, Jason."   
  
She watched as the two men disappeared into what she assumed was the kitchen before she turned her attention back to Nikolas. "Would you like to sit down?"   
  
They settled onto the couch and she turned to face him. "So I guess I owe you an explanation."   
  
"That's the understatement of the year, Elizabeth." He took her hand in his. "You owe a lot of people an explanation."   
  
"Would it make a difference if I told you that I didn't love him? And that I don't think he loves me?" she asked.   
  
"Of course my brother loves you," he defended. "He loves you more than he loves his own life."   
  
"No," she said quietly. "He loves the sixteen year old girl that I was. He doesn't want anything to do with the person that I am now. If he loved me, he wouldn't try to change me."  
  
Nikolas wanted to defend Lucky, but he knew that he couldn't. There was no defense. He had sat back and watched as Elizabeth did everything for Lucky and never anything for herself.   
  
"You know I'm right," she said. "I don't __want to be right, but you know I am. I wish that I could have married him." Elizabeth took in the shock in his face and knew that her words hadn't come out right. She continued to explain, "Breaking his heart hurts, a __lot. But he'll eventually see that I'm not the person that he needs anymore. I grew up, Nikolas. He died, and I grew up."  
  
He linked their fingers and gave her a firm squeeze. "I know. I was there, I just hate that he wasn't."  
  
Tears glistened in her eyes and she remembered the pain of losing him. "I do too, Nikolas, but I'm not in love with him anymore," she whispered. "It's seems like such a bad thing, but it's not. I haven't been in love with him in so long and I'm just now admitting it to myself."   
  
"Why'd you ask me to bring the suitcases?" he asked. "Are you leaving?"   
  
"Yeah, I am. I don't know for sure when I'll be back."   
  
"Where?"   
  
"Nikolas, if you really want to know, I'll tell you. But I don't want you to be in the position that you'll have to lie to Lucky anymore." Elizabeth knew that if Lucky found out that she was in Italy, he'd come after her. She didn't want that.   
  
"Are you going with Morgan?" he questioned. __Even if she is, it's her choice. You have to remember that.  
  
"Do you really wanna know?" She wasn't up for another of Nikolas Cassadine's specialty: 101 Reasons why Jason is bad.  
  
"Elizabeth..." he started, his voice laced with concern.  
  
"Don't." She held up her hand to silence him. "Nikolas, I love you and you're one of my best friends, but I'm not up for it. Yes, I know what Jason does and I know who he works for. I know everything about him. But I also know that I could get hit by a car tomorrow and die. There are no guarantees from one moment to the next. I'm not going to live my life in a cardboard box. Jason would die before he let anything happen to me."   
  
"I know and that's the scary part." He pulled her into a fierce hug and turned his face into her hair. When he pulled away, he tried to remember exactly how she looked at this moment. "You'll be in touch?"   
  
A smile lit up her face. "Thank you!" she squealed. "Thank you, thank you." She kissed his cheek, "I'll be in touch."   
  
Nikolas stood and turned towards the door. "Be safe, Elizabeth."   
  
"I will," she promised. She felt the loss tug at her heart as she watched the penthouse door close behind him. "It's safe to come out now!"  
  
Sonny followed Jason out of the kitchen and noticed that she looked better. She looked free, he thought.   
  
"When can we leave?" she asked Jason. Getting out of Port Charles was now at the top of her 'to do' list.   
  
Jason turned to look at Sonny and when the older man nodded, he looked back at Elizabeth. "The plane is waiting for us. As soon as you're ready."   
  
"I'm ready." She went towards her suitcases and then stopped. "Wait, the letter that I wrote Lucky. I meant to give it to Nikolas."   
  
"Don't worry," Sonny said. "I'll take care of it. It'll be in the mail tomorrow morning."   
  
"Thank you Sonny." She went and gave him a hug. "I guess this is goodbye?"   
  
"Not goodbye. I'll see ya later."   
  
Elizabeth smiled as the words that she'd said to Jason so many times were given back to her. "Maybe you can come and visit us in Italy. The Palio's in August, that's only a few  
months away."   
  
Sonny looked at Jason and then back to Elizabeth. "We'll see."   
  
She hugged him again and when she pulled away, she didn't take her arms from his. "Remember what I said Sonny."   
  
"I won't," he promised.   
  
Jason had been watching quietly as his partner said goodbye to the love of his life. "Sonny, thank you."   
  
Sonny turned to look at his friend and smiled. "It's nothing that you haven't done for me. I'm only beginning to repay you for everything you've done."   
  
Jason looked and Elizabeth and smiled. "Not that you owed me anything, but it's been wiped clean."   
  
Sonny extended his hand to the younger man and pulled him into a hug when he shook it.   
  
"If anything happens," Jason said. "Call me. I'll come."   
  
"I know and I will." He looked away for a minute, trying to not let the emotion get the best of him. Saying goodbye to Jason was always hard. "I'll see you."   
  
Jason nodded and turned away from his friend. He crossed to where Elizabeth's bags were and waited for her to join them.  
  
Sonny watched the young couple as they left. Jason finally found the one and he silently wondered if he would ever find the same thing.   
  
_


	7. Saying Goodbye

Two Days Later

**Two Days Later  
  
Lucky pulled himself off the couch of the cottage as the mail dropped through the slot in the door. He'd reconciled himself to the fact that Elizabeth was gone and wasn't coming back again. Her room at Kelly's had been cleaned out and the only thing that remained was the scent that was so definitely hers. With time that would fade too.  
  
He retrieved the mail and sifted through its contents. Most of the stuff was addressed to Nikolas, but there was one thing for him. His breath caught when he recognized the handwriting on the envelope.  
  
"Elizabeth," he whispered.  
  
He slid his finger under the flap and pulled the folded white paper from the envelope. His eyes scanned the page and he wondered if he'd ever be the same again after he read it.   
  
_Lucky, he read.  
  
__Since you're reading this, it means that I'm gone. It wouldn't be delivered until I was out of the country. I'm only telling you this so you know that I'm no longer in Port Charles. Please stop looking for me, if you have been.  
  
Today, __April 20, 2002__, was supposed to be our wedding day. But, we're not married and I'm pretty sure that you don't know where I am. Otherwise, you'd be beating the door down to get to me.   
  
I stood in front of the mirror saying "Elizabeth Spencer" over and over again. The more I said it, the more I would cry. And I realized that I didn't want to be Elizabeth Spencer. I didn't want to be your wife.   
  
I also realized that I don't love you anymore. That I haven't in a very long time. And, with time, you'll realize that you don't love me either. Maybe it was wrong of me to agree to marry you when I knew what my feelings were, but I couldn't see myself as anything else but your girlfriend. I didn't remember who I was if I wasn't with you. I don't like seeing myself as an extension of another person.   
  
You saved me, Lucky. And because you did, I thought that I could save you too. I can't. I won't. You have to save yourself. You have to be strong by yourself. I can't be your  
prop anymore. I have to go now...  
  
Be safe, Lucky.  
  
Farewell,   
Elizabeth  
  
His tears fell on the paper and he ran his fingers across the lettering before he crumpled the paper into a ball.  
  
"Never," he promised. "You have my heart and that's a permanent lock."_**


	8. New Beginnings

Five Months Later

**Five Months Later  
  
Nikolas picked the mail from the floor and sorted through it. Most of it was junk. Some music company offering to sell him twelve CD's for one penny. A few bills, but then there was a single envelope mixed in with it. There was no return address but the postmark was from somewhere in Italy.  
  
"Elizabeth," he whispered.  
  
His opened the envelope and pulled the postcard from inside. He studied the picture on the front and his history lessons told him that it was a picture of The Palio. His fingers skimmed the picture and he flipped it over to read the words.   
  
_Nikolas,   
  
Be happy. Be safe.  
  
Thank you for everything you've done.  
  
  
The postcard wasn't signed, but he knew that it was from Elizabeth. It was her way of thanking him and letting him know that everything was okay.   
  
"Be happy, be safe, Elizabeth."   
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
"That was Sonny," he said as he flipped his cell phone off. "He needs me back in Port Charles."  
  
"Then we go back to Port Charles," Elizabeth said easily.   
  
"Are you sure about that? I could always go, you can stay here." Jason was giving her the easy way out, but even as he said the words he knew that they'd both be flying back to  
the States.  
  
"I'm going with you," she insisted. "It wouldn't be right. Why wouldn't you bring me home?" Her left hand reached for his and she intertwined their fingers. "I'm your wife, remember?"   
  
"I'll always remember. Always, Mrs. Morgan."  
  
"Okay then, I should pack." She went to pull away from him, but he caught her around the waist. "Jason," she whined.   
  
"What? Oh, you want me to let you go?" He tightened his grip around her waist.   
  
"No, never let me go," she said, as her arms went around his neck pulling herself closer to him.  
  
"I won't." He moved his mouth to her face and gently brushed his lips across her cheek. "Not ever," he promised.   
  
She smiled up at him, all of the love in her heart shining in his eyes. "I'm holding you to that Morgan."   
  
"You won't have to, Morgan," he teased. "Now, let's go home."   
  
"I'm already home, Jason."   
  
"You're right," he agreed. "I've never been more at home than right here, right now."   
  
She reached her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her to give him a gentle kiss. "Me either," she promised. "Me either."   
  
_**


End file.
